Stephan climbed uphill toward the rim of the valley. He was going to travel on the edge of the valley until he hit the road. Fewer people and fewer questions. There was one more stop he had to make before then.
The knife and baston quickly became useful as he pushed his way towards the library. Cutting through the tangled bushes under the untamed parts of the valley wasn't nearly as hard as he thought it would be, but this was a pine forest, so the ground was far clearer than other types of forests.
After twenty minutes of hard work, Stephan took a break. He may have to rethink avoiding everyone. His back was already starting to ache, and his arms were strained from wrestling with the vegetation of the forest. He thanked his lucky stars he made it to the Plow when he did.
The Plow was a massive outcrop of rock that was visible from most parts of the valley and took the shape of its namesake. It was a very popular spot to hike to, although not popular enough to have constant maintenance. Some parts of the year and on festivals they did clear a trail, but that wasn't for months.
Normally the point of the Plow was reserved only for the culmination of festivals and was blocked off when the path to it was clear. It had been four months since the last festival it was used, and the roughshod fencing that the townsfolk made every year had since collapsed. For the first time in his life, Stephan had access to the peak.
Of his friends, only Stephanie had ever been at the peak, during last year's festival. She had been playing Pariah, the maiden god of resolve, who had thrown her lover Thanator from the peaks of heaven after finding out his intentions to overthrow the lord of lords from his seat above the highest peak. Stephanie had quite a lot of fun dramatizing the scene, much to the townsfolk's enjoyment, and chagrin of her mother. However, the bag of pig's blood she had hidden in the effigy gave everyone a fright.
He made his way to the peak and took a look at the valley in the bright sunlight. The dense pine forest crawled up the sides of the valley over most of the Vares mountains that encircled it. The twin peaks of Bragenon and Ronerion were the only two spires of rock that broke out of the forest's blanket, looking like two spines of bone poking out of the back of some great green hairy beast. In the center of the valley, the Pine River broke the dense forest, flowing into the center of the valley from its magical source somewhere in Ronerion.
The river flowed north until the slopes of the valley began to flatten. There the Town of Pine Valley had dammed it. Creating a small lake at the edge of the forest. The bottommost part of the valley was entirely taken up by the town, and the forest had been carved out over centuries in a relentless battle to make a livable space within the ever-growing pine forest.
Really the town was three small villages working in tandem. The main village, what the townsfolk called the Foot, surrounded the manmade lake, which they called Ronarions hoof. They did a little bit of farming and lumbering. But their main job was administration, tool making, and maintenance. Stephan lived at the edge of the Foot and was closer to the northern rim of the Vares, where he stood now.
The main road followed the river, or what was left of it, out of the Foot northward and towards the very center of the valley. There the second village, Targins Rest, encircled the pool the river made in the center of it. The fabled origin of the valley was its bread basket. Fields ringed the village in a myriad of colors. The magic of the valley led to rapid plant growth, so the fields only needed to be a fraction of the size to get the same output as a traditional farm. However, This also led to a massive increase in maintenance. Everyone in the valley had a month of service as a weeder. However, those in Targins Rest did four months on, four months planting, and four months off.
The road split off inside Targins Rest, splitting to the east and northweshwest. To the northwest was the final village. Little more than a lumber camp at the moment. Vares Field was a project that the Lumbermaster before Deckard started to increase the viable land in the valley.
To the east was the Vares Gate to the outside of the valley and Stephans ultimate goal before dark. It was a good hour away, and he had one last stop on the way before he was ready to leave the valley. He got up, a little refreshed after resting for a bit, and took one last at the valley from the Plows peak before turning and making his way eastward once more.
The way became an easier task as he pushed through the pines and bushes. Not only was he getting better at using the Baston and the knife, but the slow lightening of the bush was a clear sign he was going the right way. Eventually, he broke through the bush and almost stumbled directly into the creek. The practice was good roughing it. But he was glad that It was mostly over.
He followed the creek northward until he saw his last destination inside the valley. He quietly checked the perimeter. Not only did he not want to run into anyone, which would make for a long and painful goodbye, but it was also nice practice for when he was on the road. After he carefully checked no one was around, he finally opened the doors to the library by the creek.
The familiar scents and quiet of the library caused him to tear up a bit. This would be the last time he got to be here for quite a long time. He took in his second home for a bit longer before he got to work. He began to gather important books and documents he thought he'd need during his travel, carefully wrapping them in waterproof leather before arranging them in his pack so they wouldn't get wrinkled.
Overall, he had taken three books and four scrolls. And while technically they weren't his, they might as well be. No one would even notice they're missing, except maybe Geoff, who would understand immediately. Satisfied, Stephan readjusted his pack with the new weight in it and mentally said goodbye to his favorite place. He scarcely opened the door before he found himself on the ground.
“Well, well, well, isn't it a fucking thief?!” Came the sound of a familiar voice annoyingly on top of him, holding him in a probably intentionally painful position.
“Hi Stephanie,” Stephan grunted through the pain, which was magnified by all the travel equipment on him. “I was hoping to see you before I left…”
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“Don't Fucking lie to me bookbitch. I know you were skulking around before. Trying not to be noticed.” The pain got worse as Stephanie put more of her weight on him. “You know what we do to fucking thieves around here?” She continued. Stephan didn't answer. She got off of him after a moment of no response. “W-well we lock them up!” She shouted, tearing up.
Stephan looked at her sadly. “I need to go, Stephanie.” She didn't say anything back. “If I don't, then Stefan has to…”
“I fucking know that!” she cut him off. “And deep down I'm not gonna stop you…”
She said weakly “I want Stefan too much to stop you.” She looked down. “I'm a disgusting, filthy slut, prioritizing him over you like this. I feel like a manipulative bitch, more than my father.” She looked up at him, eyes full of guilt. “The moment I realized they were here to take Stefan I hoped you would offer to take his place. I couldn't bear it and ran here.”
Stephan was speechless for the second time that day and the second time in his life. All he could do was look at the guilt in Stephanie's eyes. Her hair was a mess, and her clothes were ragged. He'd never seen her this vulnerable, and it hurt him deeper than anything that had happened that day. She collapsed and began to wail.
“I'm disgusting! No better than my father and mother!” At that, Stephan broke his stupor. He grabbed Stephanie and brought her into the closest hug He could muster.
"No,” he began, as Stephanie sobbed into his shoulder. “No, you're nothing like your parents. You wanted desperately to keep the one you love with you. Winfred is a slug who would do anything for those he sees as above him and just crawls over those who need him. And your mother is so obsessed with propriety that if she much as walked by the lumberjacks working with their shirts off she'd have a seizure. Although I bet she peaks from your roof every now and then.”
Stephanie had stopped sobbing at that. “I DID find a pair of binoculars on our balcony,” she said. Sniffling a little bit.
Stephan continued “And if bet neither has much hair on their heads. I've seen the wig collection from the cliffs around your house.”
“you peeked at our house?” She said with a smile now, “You pervert.”
“Yeah, but you set it was the stake out while you stole a keg of your dad's mead” he retorted. “I'll never forgive you for forcing me to see Winfred's asscheeks as he changed.”
Stephanie stared at him for a second before falling out of his arms to the floor again. But this time with relieved laughter. It took a good half a minute for her to stop laughing. Wiping The tears from her red eyes, she stood up and hugged Stephan.
“Thank you” she whispered. “I was so distraught, I didn't know what to do, you made everything so much better. How are I and Stefan going to get along without you”
“Well, if all things go well, it will be only a couple weeks” After he said that, Stephanie gave him a big punch to the head. “Fucking lead with that!” She shouted.
“Well,” he said, rubbing his head, “I found it hard to tell a quivering mess that information, and it was quite fun seeing you that vulnerable for once,” another punch to the head. “That being said, if all goes well I will be heading out more permanently later for the university”
“Wait, what do you mean?” Stephanie asked.
“I'm going to try to leverage my scholarship with the university to get out of the soldiery; if that works, I'll be back for a bit to gather more materials and then head back to study for a couple of years, maybe even ten if I could pull it off. Don't tell my parents, though; they think I'm never coming back.”
“So in the end, you're leaving us anyway…” she said quietly.
“Well not forever, and you and Stefan will get along just fine without me. In fact I'm counting on it.”
“What do you mean?”
“Well if I'm not here you and Stefan will get pregnant before long. And winfred having a grandchild out of wedlock, of his only child, especially to just a Lumbermasters son will be an amazing revenge don't you think?” Stephan stated proudly.
Stephanie stood there for a moment, processing what he said. She then turned beet red and began seriously trying to punch him “IT WAS YOU GETTING IN THE WAY EVERYTIME, DAMN PERVERT DIE, DIE STUPID CUCK BOOK BITCH!”
This time Stephan warded off the punches “Don't get so worked up”, he said laughing. “You guys were not ready to avoid pregnancy and weren't as well hidden as you thought. Its a good thing I found you and disturbed you gently, instead of Geoff or one of your parents.”
Stephanie stopped her assault and pointedly looked away from Stephan “Well i guess you're right…” she said
“And now that I'll be gone,” Stephan answered "You guys can go at it all you want. Noone comes to the library really” He got a kick in the shin for that.
“Well i WAS going to give you the present i and Stefan bought for you..” Stephanie retorted. Taking out the small present from her dress “But now I’m going to keep it until you get back.”
“What is it?” Asked Stephan.
“Well you'll just have to fucking find out when you get back, book bitch” she replied smugly. sje had the biggest maschevious grin on her face Stephan had ever seen.
Stephan squashed his curiostiy and sighed. “Fine, keep it safe until I get back” stephanie smiled triumphantly at him. He smiled back.
they stood there, all smiles for a bit, before stephan broke the silence.
“You need to go find Stefan and make up with him.” he said seriously. “He must be frantic looking for you. I’m suprised he didnt look here alreahis
“Oh he did” responded Stephenie. “But he could never find me if I dont want him too.” She was clearly more than a little bit proud of that “Shit, your right, he must be worried out of his mind.”
Stephanie turned to go, but turned and tackled Stephan in one last crushing hug “just promise me youll come back.”
Stephan was quiet for a second. The hug turned more curshing. “OK OK I promise! Now let me go, or else I’ll croak before I even get to cliffgate.”
Stephanie let go but grabbed onto his hands, hard. She looked him dead in the eyes, with a stare that would make Thanator cower.
“Promise me you'll come back” her voice held a gravity that Stephan couldnt ignore.
“Allright. I promise I will come back to Pine Valley as per the glorious wishes of her majesty the goul mouthed Stephanie!” He said, then flourished with a bow.
she lightly bonked him on the head with her fist before turnign around and walking away.
Stephan coildnt help himself
“Go and make up with Stefan for me! And if I’m not back in time for the birth, let the kid know uncle Stephan will be back soon!” he called after her. That earned him a well deserved rock to the stomach. Man that girl could throw.
He watched her as she left, and as he caught his breath from the stone to his gut. After she was no longer in sight he turned eastward once again.
The rest of the way was uneventful and rather easy. Now that he was in the less traveled parts of the valley he didnt feel the need to bushwack towards the Vares Gate. He ran into two weeders on his out, but even though word traveled fast in the valley, it didnt travel that fast. So he got away with just a polite greeting rather than a tearful goodbye.
He breathed a sigh of relief he didnt know he was holding in when he got to the gate. The gate gaurds, Renaldo and Yaroslav, were old soldiers that had retired to the valley a decade ago. Renaldo jsut nodded to Stephan as he opened the gate. Yaroslav looked at him and simply asked in a raspy voice
“Are you truly ready for this? Boy?”
“No,” answered Stephan after a breif moment of thought, “but i need to do it whether I’m ready or not”
Yaroslav nodded knowingly at the answer and opened his side of the gate. Stephan stepped through it. He took his first step out of the valley, and his first step to the rest of his life. Whatever that brought him.